I didn't seem to think DCC was that common in London. I haven't been to Paris - and the only time I went to France I had worse problems with my non-EMV card - so I can't comment there. The only examples I think of in the UK that were bad were some of the Marriott hotels. However, I think even they've improved their stance.

Don't want to sound I am from another world, but when I am in HK, I go to 翠华 and 義顺 on Lockhart... :D And of course, they are in the Causeway Bay part of the Lockhart.

And of course, they are restaurants not bars... The only time I take my friends out, I took them to Outback, also in Causeway Bay...

Yes, non-EMV will be a big problem in Europe. However, I found more places in Paris accepting magnetic card than London. In London it is quite impossible to use non-EMV card, as lots of POS only say "insert", not "swipe". However in Paris, I saw some American tourists using the United Explorer magnetic card in a metro station. And, the magnetic readers on POS in that city actually work.

You should ignore the terminal. Although the terminals say Insert card, you can still swipe the card on the magnetic stripe reader. I have experience of this as my UK diners club is still swipe and sign only.

The kiosks on the London Underground most assuredly take the archaic American magnetic strip cards as do the main line railroad kiosks.

In Paris, the kiosks run by RATP, the local Paris transit authority most assuredly do take the archaic American cards. However, the kiosks run by SNCF say at CDG for the RER trip into centre-ville (downtown) most assuredly do not.

I have yet to come across a situation in London where one could not use the archaic American cards. Paris is pretty good that way too.

Now, however, try to use your archaic American card in the Netherlands and you will be up the creek without a paddle (or usable credit card which is not chip and pin).

I used a US issued chase card without EMV chip to buy a SNCF ticket at a vending machine in CDG back in April 2012, so there is one data point.

When I tried my United Club card at a TESCO near Hackney, the "insert card" really meant it... The mag reader didn't work.

But yes, I've successfully used my Club card at Fortrum and Masons and other stores.

I've had that experience in Norway. In a 7-11 store, each time I swiped, the terminal asks for my PIN (In London and Paris, when I swipe, the terminal will say "signature"). Also got a lesson of "how you Americans can use a CC without a PIN" from the 7-11 manager...

In Paris, at Arc de Triumphe station, my CSP worked at a kiosk near RER A entrance, but didn't at a kiosk near M1 entrance.

But again, the trip was quite DCC-free. In the 100+ times I used my CC in both cities, I only got asked for currency selection for less than 5 times and my choices were all honored, and the rest just charged local currency without any extra input.

On a side topic, when I did the tax refunds, I chose cash because last time I did refunds to my CC, I saw a 3% difference in their exchange rate from EUR to USD (actually this is written on the forms).

However, I found out this time that they charge EUR 3.00 for EACH REFUND FORM when you get cash, as a commission (at CDG, the Travelex store). I better eat the 3% next time than a hard 3 EUR...

Ah with Tesco you don't use the magnetic stripe reader on the card machine. If at a self service machine you use the dip style MSR underneath and if at a manned terminal the card has to be swiped by the cashier.

Exactly, I was at a self-service machine. When the mag card didn't work, I used my CSP (Chip and Sig).

I had a very unsuccessful trip to the Northern Europe in 2013, and my only Marriott Rewards chip card saved me. This time I was armed with 5 chip cards from different issuer on different networks.

But I didn't have a Chip and Pin, as I didn't get the Propel World card (I want it really much, as I dine a lot at hotels). This is the only problem I ran into for the trip, at a RER station in Paris.

BTW, without a true Chip and PIN card (it is said that US Chip and PIN cards use Chip and Sig whenever possible, only go to Chip and PIN when on offline machines), self-service machines like the ones in TESCO aren't self-service, as you need to drag some staff to verify your signature, and they have to scan their employee ID... It was quite embarrassing...

I made that last mistake at the large Boots in Picadilly Circue one morning when there was no cashier on duty downstairs and I picked up a couple of diet coke cherry 500 ml bottles for £2 and used the USAA "improved" (ha ha) mc with chip which we now know is chip and signature preference #1. So...I inserted the car and was told wait for attendance. Wait for attendant. Wait for attendant. No way to cancel or whatever. Wait for attendance (for a bloody £2 charge). Finally 10 minutes later, an attendant shows up, enters her code and finishes the transaction and of course made sure she compared the signature (always done in the UK no matter how small the charge). A royal pain in the rear end for no reason at all.

Chip and signature has been no problem in the Netherlands at shops which take Visa or Amex. Some magstrip readers are covered - even Starbucks! With a big "no magnetic strip" sticker.

The biggest issue by far is most shops are Maestro/V Pay only. To the extent OV-chipkaart machines rub it in your face with prominent "no Visa" and "no MasterCard" logos.

Did you have to use the adjective every single time?

I guess I'm not a linguist and couldn't think of any synonyms for archaic...I guess I could have used dated. Thank you for correcting me.

I think his point was that using "archaic" once would have conveyed the idea just as well.

Well you have to understand that my mind is so warped by all this that whenever I think of the words magnetic strip, archaic pops right into my mind.